Gen 4 Dugtrio Clefable 2049


It used to be the norm for top players to contribute, through RMTs (both posting their own and rating others') as well as through writing/quality checking analyses, writing articles for the Smog and even tutoring in Battling 101. As a result, at the very beginning of my time on Smogon, I was more interested in contributing than I was actually playing the game at a high level, and my favorite section was RMT.

However, slowly but surely, this culture changed, shifting from chronicling the metagame through forum threads and posts to a complete focus on tournaments. As I got increasingly involved in the tour scene, I did as well. It's not surprising - contributing can be a lot of thankless work, and the rewards don't do it for a lot of people, especially those whose goal is to perform well in tournaments; spending hours contributing doesn't do anything for them in that regard, especially since many of them don't care about Smogon as a site - they didn't sign up to write lengthy analyses and are just here because the tours are (which is why you see so many players so quick to join and be invested in tours on Discord/other forums). Players that contribute now usually prefer to do so in the form of set/team dumps, which are a lot less effort - you can simply copy/paste a set/team you used in SPL, give one or two lines of explanation, maybe link a replay and bam. There's also something to be said for the mass of public information in the replay age resulting in people preferring to post multiple teams at a time in the aforementioned dumps. (Please don't read this as me saying that contributing is dead - I thoroughly enjoy and appreciation the amount of great forum discussion from enthusiastic players in both old and new gens. I just wanted to mention this cultural shift.)

With all that in mind, it might make sense why I haven't posted an RMT in six years (almost to the day!), and haven't posted one in DPP in seven and a half (nor have I changed back the stupid edits Jirachee made to that one, fuck you Phil but I also miss you lol). However, this has been a weirdly nostalgic year for me - I participated in not one, but two current gen suspect tests like some sort of youth, for God's sake - so I decided to continue the trend with an RMT.

This team is not my most successful of all time or anything - I'm sure a good amount of people would expect me to RMT my Protect stall team, I Crawled - but with the recent Dugtrio ban, it feels like the most...zeitgeist-y (or whatever the Pokemon metagame equivalent would be) and thus fitting. I remember railing against Dug in spring 2013 (M Dragon's Cresselia trap team was unbelievably irritating), which is also around the same time I first posed the idea of Latias coming back. I am pleased to once again be vindicated by history. Jokes, but funnily enough, around that time, a guy named panamaxis was winning a DPP tournament using a team with not just Dug but also CM Clefable... If you look at the first four Pokemon on this team, they could've been plucked out of any of the many semi-stalls that were so popular in the LatiMence metagame, then the last two are the combination of UUs that have DPP over the past year. Something something fitting marriage of past and present.

I'd always toyed with Dug before, to mild success, but I never really liked the teams I made with it too much - they felt unreliable. This team marked the second time I had made a Dug team that was really consistent, and this one has been far more impactful and relevant, that's why I wanted to post it. I think it stemmed from me no longer thinking of Dug as necessitating a second-tier type of team - for a long time, Dug was thought of as that thing that facilitates gimmicky stuff that would fall apart without it (Cress). Even more reliable teams in the vein of Heist's Forretress stalls or Philip7086's special offenses never felt right for how I liked to play - I'm too much of a control freak.

The first time I made a Dug team I found reliable was when I slotted it over Scarf Rotom on an edit of my stall team I used against BIHI in DPP Cup semis. That version also saw Tyranitar shift from SpDef to Scarf; the idea was that these two fast trappers would help me forcibly remove as much of the opponent's offenses as possible, making it an even more aggressive variant of a team I already liked to play offensively. I kept this idea in mind when making this team, except I wanted to make it even more offensive. This came in several forms: first, Scarf Rotom came back, providing even more security against threats like Infernape and Dragon Dancers while providing a fast method of lategame cleanup against offensive teams. Clefable shifted to CM - it was still great defensively, but could now sweep defensive teams. Finally, Latias was added, as it is a natural fit alongside both Spikes and Dugtrio, and thus synergized beautifully with Clef.

The reason I found these teams reliable was that they were not entirely hinging on Dugtrio - it merely served to enhance them. Even if you take the Dug out, you have an extremely solid foundation, and there are plenty of excellent Pokemon to replace it with. Another example is Excal's SPL team with ResTalk Rotom and Milotic, which I like a lot for similar reasons - it has a great core that is enhanced by Dug, not entirely reliant on it to function. This applies to more reliable offensive teams that used Dug as well (think Zapdos and friends).

This team was originally built in week 2 of SPL for my teammate...BIHI! Fate is funny that way. He used it in his battle against Vay. It was the first time the Dug + CM Clef combo popped up that SPL, though I attribute that more to chance than being innovative with the combo since it was known and just waiting to happen. Check out my Dug video for chronology of Dug this past SPL! Hell, check out my channel in general. Speaking of, I also laddered with this team a lot for my laddering videos, and I loved using it...that is, until I started facing mirror matches. Those were infuriating. Finally, I used this team and several variations of it in smaller tournaments, and it remained a consistent choice with a lot of room for moveset flexibility, which is one of my favorite traits in teams (and is incidentally why I don't like posting "definitive" versions of teams, I'm always tweaking them).

The title comes from Blade Runner 2049, because two UU Pokemon completely dominating OU to the point of being overpowered makes me feel like we are way, way in the future.


Latias (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 236 Def / 252 SpA / 16 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- Trick

- Sleep Talk


The main description of this set can be found here. Latias is an underrated lead. More players should use it, it's a good fit for all sorts of teams. I like it here, as OHKOing even the bulkiest Azelf is great, and it's an effective early battering ram against the Pokes I want removed/weakened so Clef can clean up, especially when the Defense catches people by surprise, as seen in this game. However, as I mentioned, most teams I like have a lot of room for flexibility with their sets, and that is very true here. Latias is, of course, excellent outside of the lead slot, can be reserved for the midgame, especially since Skarm and Tar are both fine leads). It becomes more dangerous once the other team is already chipped and/or hazards are already laid down, while the team gets more out of its excellent defensive utility (particularly against Breloom). It's largely up to player preference.

Other options
  • I like Thunderbolt (mainly for Empoleon, but also for Skarmory and boosted Suicune without necessarily having to Trick), but it's not necessary, so it can be dropped for Surf or Dragon Pulse.
  • Max Speed is also worthwhile (still great on Modest!), especially if used midgame.
  • Non-Specs: CM Roar is solid, helping against other CM Clef as well as various Suicunes. Scarf would be very solid too.


Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 248 HP / 248 SpD / 12 Spe
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Roost

- Whirlwind

Skarm doesn't need as much Defense here, since it still handles what it needs to naturally with Impish (physical Dragonite, Gyara, Pert, Fire Punch Rachi), and it really enjoys not autodying to strong special moves - see the SPL game where it takes a Specs Kingdra Hydro Pump. Others include Thunder Jirachi, Clef Thunderbolt, Gengar, Empoleon, Suicune and Specs Latias.

Other options
  • A few Defense EVs (16-56) can help.
  • Alternatively, Careful can be nice for helping further with the aforementioned special attackers as well as MixNite and the occasional Hydro Pert, and it always lives ScarfZone, letting you either get another layer or Whirlwind the Zone out and use Skarm as crucial death fodder later.
  • If you're confident in being able to Stealth Rock with Tar, you can use Brave Bird for Breloom and Machamp as well as being able to chip Clefable and Starmie.


Rotom-Heat @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Overheat

- Hidden Power [Ice]

With its typing, coverage and offensive investment, Scarf Rotom checks a whole bunch of dangerous stuff - with coverage against Fighters, Waters, Dragons and Grasses, it's like a second Latias that also checks speed boosters and Steels. It's a great cleaner with Spikes weakening opposing teams into Tbolt range. It's also great against defensive stuff - it has the team's second Trick, ensuring that alongside hazards and CM Clef, you're threatening the absolute hell out of all sorts bulky teams. It's surprisingly threatening against them on its own even beyond just unloading its Scarf - with the trap support on this team, their best Poke to take its Tbolts is usually CM Clef, and it takes a lot from them, burning a lot of Softboiled PP and making it a lot easier to deal with later.

Other options
  • Normally, I'd consider Will-o-Wisp and/or Shadow Ball, and I suppose you still can, but Overheat (Jirachi/Agiligross/TR Bronzong/bulky Scizor/Lucario) is REALLY good for lots of immediate damage. You definitely need one of Will-o-Wisp or Overheat so you don't lose to Scizor, and given how Overheat lets you more immediately handle Luke and Agiligross as well as actually damage Clefable switchins, I'm more inclined to go with it. Burning or hitting Tyranitar with hazards down doesn't make much of a difference in terms of wearing it down and/or being able to Dug it, so that's not really important. I'm also loathe to give up HP Ice's coverage against Dragonite, and it gives more options against Gliscor and MixGon, rather than just Clef (/Latias). However, that at least is definitely more negotiable, and both Wisp and SBall could be tried there - I would probably lean SBall to threaten ResTalk Rotom so you scare bulky teams even more easily post-Trick. It also chunks Swampert and bulky Latias nicely, although Will-o-Wisp is great against them too.
  • Finally, I would also love to run Modest, and maybe with some changes that's doable again, but in its current state the team needs the security against Modest Empoleon (who the Speed EVs outrun).
  • Non-Scarf: ResTalk can be used to more efficiently free up the Latias set. Also gives more security against things like AgiliGross in case Skarm gets Magnezoned, is similarly helpful against Jirachi, and sits on the sometimes-annoying SubToxic Zapdos.


Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Earthquake

- Stealth Rock


I'm a big fan of using two Stealth Rockers, giving me flexibility in getting my hazards up in a lot of matches, and ScarfTar can afford the moveslot. It can easily double switch in from Skarm since it does well against so many targets without carrying the risk of Dugtrio - for example, Dug would be good against a Magnezone, Heatran or Infernape switch, but useless against Zapdos/MixNite/Rotom/healthy Starmie, whereas Tyranitar can tango with all of them. Rocks also let it sometimes bluff not being Scarf and thus be able to surprise something like MixNite lategame, although that's not its main goal, just a side bonus. Aggressive Pursuiting of dangerous Pokes (like...MixNite, or even Infernape) goes a long way in forcing a scenario for Clefable to threaten lategame. Earthquake gives options for playing around Infernape with a lot more freedom. Smacking Jirachi is also nice.

Other options
  • I'd usually consider Ice Beam in the last slot for Gliscor and MixGon, but they're not really threatening here. What I have considered is Stone Edge, as Zapdos can sometimes be annoying, and occasionally push does come to shove against Dragonite.
  • Superpower over Earthquake is nice for Empoleon (who likes to run Shuca) as well as smacking Clef 1-on-1. However, both Bold CM and support sets heal it off pretty freely anyway, so I think if it's going to scout, Crunch is better so you can actually use it repeatedly, looking for Defense drops and overall burning more Softboiled PP if Clef is hellbent on staying in and beating Tar 1v1 (which will take a while given how little boosted attacks do). It's definitely a good option and I like both, especially since Emp is scary and SP's coverage is more spammable (hits Flygon/Breloom, OHKOs other Tar, even having the option to spam it freely against your target knowing you won't allow that low-health Dragonite/Zapdos to switch in and Roost can be useful in tight games), but I think Infernape and Jirachi, even Metagross in a pinch, are more pressing, especially post-Dug. Also especially post-Dug, being able to actually (threaten to) OHKO Tran and Zone is nice.
  • Non-Scarf: I've thought about some sort of mixed set to destroy unsuspecting, otherwise-irritating Skarmory and Breloom while having more freedom against Zapdos. The loss in Speed would put more pressure on Dug and Rotom to handle those dangerous offensive Pokes, so if I were to do this, I'd definitely shift Latias out of the lead spot, which would pick up the slack efficiently.


Dugtrio @ Choice Band
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Pursuit
- Aerial Ace

- Screech

We know what Dug does by now; here, it forms great anti-Rachi/Tar synergy alongside Lati/Rotom/Clef. It loves Skarm's Spikes, which make it easier to finish off bulkier variants of Rachi/Tar as well as Breloom. It also deals with threatening Heatran, Infernape and Magnezone. In addition, Dug can finish several irritating Pokemon sitting around half health - Kingdra, Suicune, Machamp even Swampert, while it can pick off even a healthy Roserade. Aggressive double switching goes a long way with this thing. While I think non-Protect support Clefable is still quite manageable without Screech, you can never be too safe against Clef, so I prefer it. Finally, Dug teams up with my own Scarftar to ensure the removal of pesky Gengar.

Other options
  • On Dug itself, Sucker Punch over Screech; with SP, Dug becomes the most reliable way to remove opposing Dug! It's also generally nice to have the option of priority lategame.
  • It doesn't need max Speed - it's more reliable just in case you lock into Aerial Ace and the opposing Dug tries to revenge you so you can potentially win the tie and chunk it, putting it closer to range of hazard death. However, it is very possible to drop to 224 Speed, which outruns Scarftar. The 32 HP helps against rocks + Clef Ice Beam and Seismic Toss alike.
  • As for Dug replacements, there are a lot of options: Breloom, Bronzong, Donphan, Empoleon, Gastrodon, Gengar, Gliscor, Heatran, Hippowdon, Jirachi, Magnezone, Mesprit, Nidoqueen, Quagsire, Roserade, Suicune, Starmie, Swampert, Tentacruel, Uxie. Maybe even Infernape or Metagross. None of them will do what Dug did, of course, but they're great Pokemon that would fit in well.


Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
- Thunderbolt

- Ice Beam

Bold Clef is insane. It sits on Jirachi, so even if it's some physically defensive set that Dug can't trap then Clef is gonna beat it anyway. It also does ridiculous things like effectively wall Gyarados (14.1% chance to 2HKO at +1 lol), MixGon, Gliscor, defensive Loom, heals off MixNite/Explosion from ScarfZone and Heatran. It lives DDnite easily, fulfilling the defensive core alongside Skarm and Scarf Rotom that prevents EQ-immune setup sweepers from punishing Dugtrio. It's still great against offense, but Clef's biggest asset, of course, is that it is an incredibly effective sweeper against the defensive teams that are such powerful, pervasive presences in the metagame. I know some people don't like Clefable and have wanted it banned, but I really don't think that's a good idea - before Clef burst onto the scene, people were complaining about how hard it was to deal with hazards and fast teams overloading with SR + DD Gyara and Dnite...it's helped balance the meta out against those, and without Dug around, dealing with it will be far more palatable.

Other options:
  • Calm - still max Defense (or very close to it), just Calm to help a little against stronger special attackers like Empoleon. It still lives +1 DDnite.
  • Another option more suited for the Dug meta is Life Orb - the extra punch can be really nice against Gyara/Nite/Gliscor/Loom 1-on-1, sometimes also CM Suicune/Haze Milotic, or even stuff like Machamp switches. However, the loss in longevity against Jirachi and Heatran is a big blow - Jira is manageable through ResTalk Rotom, while Tran gets Dugged. However, without Dug, Tran is a lot more annoying - it still can be beaten by Clef anyway, so you have to be very aware of it. HP Ground Jirachi might be a good call.
  • Non-CM: Encore, because its lengthy duration allows you to threaten actual KOs with SToss and thus remain "offensive."
To summarize: Spikes paired with the fast, aggressive trio of Dug + Scarftar + Scarf Rotom to maintain hazards, keep threats in check and forcibly remove key opposing Pokemon is brutal. In conjunction with the power of Specs Latias alongside Spikes ripping holes in teams, CM Clefable is able to clean up with ease. The team has a strong foundation, allowing for many potential viable Dugtrio replacements.



In conclusion, I will leave you with one final anecdote from the stone age: I remember talking to Heist/babidi on IRC in the fall of 2010. We were discussing some ways of handling the popular Hippo or Swampert/Forretress/ResTalk Rotom/Blissey/ResTalk Gyarados/Scarftar or SpDef Heatran stall teams of the time, and he said almost verbatim: "if I really wanted to make sure I beat stall I'd run CM Clefable." Little did we know...

RIP Dugtrio. See you in UU.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy trying out non-Dug versions of this team, as well as mixing and matching the different set possibilities and combinations I've mentioned here :toast:
 
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